


Purina V: Monsters of the Deep

by orphan_account



Series: Purina [5]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Fluff, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2014-10-25
Packaged: 2018-02-22 13:31:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2509538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The girls go on a nature walk, and Hypatia learns more about her new home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Purina V: Monsters of the Deep

“Mina, that is a dragon.”

They were at the top of a steep embankment, overlooking a stream where a massive reptile was sunning itself. Mina was showing Hypatia her favorite part of the woods when they encountered some native wildlife.

“It’s not a dragon,” she said. “It’s an alligator.”

“A rose by any other name.”

“Dragons aren’t real.”

Hypatia didn’t take her eyes off of it. “If you define a dragon as something unreal, then tautologically, nothing you encounter is a dragon. If you define it as a monstrously powerful reptile older than the race of men and jealous if its territory, then you must acknowledge one when you see it.”

“I still feel like there’s something wrong with that.”

“Do they ever capture maidens?” she asked.

“No.”

“Are you certain?”

“It’s not trying to capture us, is it?”

Hypatia put her hand on Mina’s thigh. “We aren’t maidens.”

“It might _eat_ a maiden, but I don’t think it would capture one.”

They sat in silence for a while, watching the big alligator move its slow and ancient body in the sun. Hypatia was resting on the ground, peering over the bank like a curious child, heedless of her usually spotless clothes.

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

“I think you’re the first person to say that,” Mina said, looking at the lumpy, snaggle-toothed critter below.

“It’s so _perfect_. Every part of it is fit to purpose. No omissions and no waste.” She turned her bright, eager eyes on Mina. “How strong are the jaws?”

“They can bite through boats, I know that. Snap a human in half if you’re not careful.”

Hypatia sighed in admiration. “I’d love to see one feed. Are they swift when they strike?”

Mina nodded. “Yeah. Zero to chomp in no seconds flat.”

“The brain is as perfect as the body. Nothing interferes with the impulse to attack. We have nothing like this in Europe, you know that?”

“They don’t have dragons in Europe?”

“None found by reputable sources. We have snakes in Lithuania, small ones, but no greater reptiles. It’s too cold. Nor any bears or tigers.”

“Tigers?” The last Mina had checked, there were no tigers in Louisiana.

“The... great cats.” Hypatia made a claw with her hand. “You said to lock the trashcans, or it draws them.”

“Cougars?”

“Cougars.” She nodded, accent thick on the new word. “We don’t have those.”

“I’m glad we can impress you with our predators, at least.”

Hypatia stared raptly, mapping the alligator with her eyes. She itched to draw it. Mina smiled and settled in beside her, content to let her friend look on as long as she liked. She had never met someone so enamored and unafraid of alligators.

Later that night, they would meet a possum, and Hypatia would scream.


End file.
